ESSAY AS A PRIORITY GENRE OF ACADEMIC WRITING

Abstract

The article is devoted to the understanding of the essay as a genre, which is of exceptional importance for the "Academic Writing" course. It is noted that the origins of the essay genre can be traced in the works of ancient authors (Plato, Isocrates, Marcus Aurelius), famous philosophers of the past (J. Addison, Voltaire, D. Diderot, H.-E. Lessing, J. Locke, O. Goldsmith, G. Frying pan, etc.). Later, the genre received its logical continuation in the work of foreign artists (H. Wells, J. Galsworthy, T.-S. Eliot, A. Camus, G. and T. Mann, J. P. Sartre, B. Shaw, etc.) and Ukrainian authors representing various literary periods and currents (Yu. Andruhovych, V. Vynnycheko, O. Honchar, I. Drach, M. Dochynets, E. Malanyuk, Yu. Lypa, U. Samchuk, T. Shevchenko, Yu. Shereh, etc.). It was determined that in the scientific discourse, an essay is traditionally understood as a prose work with an arbitrary composition, which is characterized by the fictionalization of recorded individual impressions, associations or information obtained from various fields of knowledge, an unsystematic combination of philosophical, literary-critical, popular science, and sometimes specifically scientific elements. The research emphasizes the desire of modern researchers to distinguish the meaning of the terms “essay” and “academic essay”, which is explained by practical needs, since the concepts function in different planes (fiction and teaching methods). The article focuses attention on the integration of the literary concept into the field of methodology. It has been found that in modern scientific studios, attention to the essay as a priority type of work in classes on the “Academic Writing” is increasing. This is explained by the orientation towards foreign models of the organization of the educational process. It is noted that at Sumy State University, during classes on the “Fundamentals of Academic Writing” course, studying the features of the essay genre is a priority. After acquiring theoretical knowledge, students represent creative work, thanks to which written and oral scientific communication is activated, and, therefore, the goal of the educational discipline is realized.